147 days, 147 ways
by Spunkles
Summary: I do remember...The promise…to protect her. If I'd have done that…even if I didn't make it…you wouldn't have had to jump. But I want you to know that I did save you. Not when it counted, of course, but after that.Every night after that. I'd see it all again. Do something different. Faster, more clever, you know? Dozens of times, lots of different ways. Every night I save you.
1. Chapter 1

_Uh…I do remember what I said. _

_The promise…to protect her. _

_If I'd have done that…even if I didn't make it…you wouldn't have had to jump._

_But I want you to know that I did save you. Not when it counted, of course, but after that._

_Every night after that. I'd see it all again. Do something different. Faster, more clever, you know? Dozens of times, lots of different ways. Every night I save you._

_Spike to Buffy – Season 6, After Life_

**1****st**** way, 1****st**** day**

Spike ducked around Doc, placing himself between the demon and Dawn.

"You don't come near the girl Doc."

"I don't smell a soul anywhere on you. Why do you even care?"

"I made a promise to a lady."

"Oh"

Doc's tongue lashed out at Spike and Spike dodges to the left.

Spike's right hand shoots up and grabs Doc's tongue.

"Didn't your mum ever tell ya that it's not polite to stick your tongue out at others?"

Keeping a tight grip on Doc's tongue, Spike used his left hand to punch Doc repeatedly in the face with his left hand.

As Doc was dizzy and dazed from the multiple punches, Spike took Doc's tongue and wrapped it around the demon's neck.

"Oh look…it's tongue tied."

Spike pulled harder and harder, choking the demon until he heard Doc's neck snap. He dropped the demon to the platform and then kicked the demon repeatedly, anywhere he could land a blow. Every kick was followed by a word:

"Never (kick) touch (kick) the (kick) girl (kick). Never (kick) touch (kick) the (kick) girl (kick)."

"Spike."  
Never (kick) touch (kick) the (kick) girl (kick).

"Spike."

Never (kick) touch (kick) MY (kick) GIRLS (kick).

"Spike!"

Spike looked up at Dawn.

"I think he's dead."

"Can't be too sure with this one Bit. The Whelp put a sword through his gut earlier, and yet here he is.

During his speech, Spike had resumed kicking the demon.

"Spike get me down from here. I wanna go home."

"One sec Bit, one last thing to do. Close your eyes, Nibblet."

Dawn closed her eyes.

Spike picked up the knife that Doc had dropped on the platform turned and stabbed Doc in his forehead.

Then he picked up Doc's body and tossed it off the tower.

Spike smiled happily as he watched Doc's body bounce hard on a pile of bricks below.

He then ran over to Dawn &amp; quickly untied her.

"I got you Bit. Let's go home."

They started down the stairs &amp; came face-to-face with Buffy, who was coming up them.

"Dawn."

"Buffy."

The two sisters embraced happily, both were glad that both of them were safe and sound

Over Dawn's shoulder, Buffy mouthed to Spike, 'Thank you for protecting her.'

Spike stepped forward and spoke softly but knew that Buffy could hear him, even if Dawn couldn't.

"I'll always protect my girls…To the end of the world and back."

Buffy reached over Dawn's shoulder and caressed his right cheek with her left hand. The look in her eyes was softer and kinder than he had ever seen them…at least towards him.

A series of loud thumping noises that came from nowhere confused Spike.

"Luv, do you hear that? What's that noise?"

Spike, who had turned away to look for the source of the noise, turned back to look at Buffy and Dawn, but they were no where around.

The thumping noise became louder and Dawn's watery and sad voice called down from above.

"Spike"

Spike jumped up, disoriented and realized that he had been dreaming. Looking around he realized that he was in the basement at the Summers' household.

The reality of what had actually happened…that Buffy had jumped through the portal and was now gone came crashing down and brought him to his knees beside the cot he had been sleeping on. His dead heart contracted painfully and the tears started flowing yet again.

Dawn came down the basement steps to witness his crash and rushed over to hold him in her arms. No words of comfort came, she had none to give. Neither one of them would be comforted, Buffy was gone.

"I'm here Spike, I'm here."

The two cried together as their hearts wept at the loss of Buffy.

Spike's arms came around to hold Dawn close as she and he both cried for their loss.

When he could think again, he realized that Dawn sitting down in the cold basement, hugging onto him was probably not good for her health, so he pushed them up, picked her up and carried her back up to her room.

He tucked her back into her bed and settled down beside it, brushing her hair and wiping her tears.

"Sleep Bit, Big Bad's here and nothing will ever hurt you again."

Dawn's watery tears eventually slowed as she eased back to sleep, pain and exhaustion taking their toll on her.

Once she was asleep and had been for a while.

Spike softly said, "I'll protect her to the end of the world Buffy…until I'm dust in the wind."


	2. Chapter 2

**2****nd**** Day, 2****nd**** Way**

Dawn plead with Doc to release her, and then realized when he mentioned Glory that he was on the other team.

Just as Doc pulls out the knife, Dawn sees Spike step onto the platform.

"Spike!"

"Doesn't a fella stay dead when you kill em?"

Doc gives Spike a look and replies, "Look who's talking."

Spike stalks forward, assessing how to get between Doc and Dawn, take care of Doc, and get Dawn to safety.

"Come on Doc, Let's you and me have a go."

"I do have a prior appointment."

"This won't take long."

"No…I don't imagine it will."

Doc speeds past Spike, stabs him with the knife, get behind Spike and holds Spike around the neck with his left hand.

Spike plants a vicious back head butt into Doc's face, dazing the demon, making him let go of Spike and dropping the knife, now covered with Spike's blood.

Spike sweeps the knife off the tower with his leg, putting as much distance between the knife and Doc as he can.

'Can't stab her if you don't have a knife,' he thought.

Seeing the knife that he needed begin it's decent to the ground, Doc leaned over the grate, attempting to regain the knife with his tongue.

Spike jumped on Doc's back, winding the demon and making him bite his own tongue, the precious knife falling all the way to the ground and embedding itself into the concrete.

"Guess you lost your knife."

Using his Doc Martens to good use, Spike kicked the demon repeatedly in the head.

Spike then kicked the demon off the tower and leaned over to watch him fall.

Doc fell straight down, smashing into a pile of bricks.

Spike wasn't sure if that fall was enough to kill him. He ran over and untied Dawn.

"Come on now Bit. Let's get you off this bloody tower."

They made their way down the steps, Spike keeping a sharp look out.

At the bottom of the stairs, they watched Buffy hammer Glory into the ground. Buffy finally stopped hitting Glory when Glory morphed into Ben and had gotten his promise that Glory would leave her and her family alone.

Spike knew that all Glory had to do was take over and that promise would be null and void.

He watched Giles approach Ben and knew what he was going to do.

Buffy approached them and put her arms around Dawn, the two sisters hugging each other tightly.

Spike knew that the stain on Giles soul from what he would do would be problematic for both the Watcher and Buffy.

He sighed; he knew what he had to do and was pretty sure of what it would cost him.

He pulled both Dawn and Buffy into his arms, hugging them tightly before letting them go.

"Love ya Niblet."

"I love you so much Buffy."

Before Buffy or Dawn had a chance to say anything, Spike stepped up to Buffy and kissed her thoroughly and deeply, putting all his love into his kiss, leaving her panting and breathless.

He then reached over hugged Dawn tightly and kissed her forehead gently.

He turned back to Buffy and handed her his duster.

Buffy looked confused.

He leaned over again and kissed her one more time and then cupping her cheek with his hand.

He then ran over to Giles, stopping Giles from covering Ben's mouth with his hand.

"I got this Watcher, go check on the girls."

"But…"

"Now…she can't have this stain on you…"

He moved Giles quickly, not exactly pushing, but not giving him a chance to counter the movements.

He looked down at Ben.

Spike looked over at his girls, who were looking at him curiously, and then closed his eyes briefly.

"Can you move?" he asked Ben almost conversationally.

"Not much. She could have killed me."

"No she couldn't. She's a hero. She knows that Glory could re-emerge and will make her pay for her mercy, but she still couldn't take a human life."

"That older guy was just saying that."

"Must be true then."

"What about you?"

"Me…I'm not hero…but I will do anything to protect my girls. Even if means my death."

With that, Spike leaned over, vamped out and bit into Ben's neck, draining him.

The chip flared wildly, more pain than he had ever felt before, but he ignored it, he had to drain Ben, it was the only way to make sure that Glory could never hurt his girls again.

After Ben was drained, he snapped his neck.

And then dropped to the ground, the pain so blinding, so consuming that he could barley form thoughts. There was a massive ringing in his ears as well.

"Spike!"

"Spike!"

Buffy and Dawn came rushing over to him, one on either side. He knew they were there. Could sense them and could feel their hands as they touched him, but couldn't respond to either. It felt like his brain was eroding away.

He felt drops of water and wondered if it had started to rain, before he realized that Buffy and Dawn were crying over him.

My girls are crying…over me?

The ringing that had been in his ears relaxed and he could actually start to hear the conversation around him again.

"What's wrong with him Giles?"

"It…It appears that the chip is…well…"

"It's killing him, isn't it?"

"I believe so."

"Why would he do that? He must have known what would happen?"  
"I believe he did it for you."  
"What are you saying Giles?"

"I was going to do it – kill Ben if necessary. He said that you couldn't have this stain on me. I'm guessing he took matters into his own hand."

Buffy leaned forward, Spike's head on her lap as she cradled his head, still crying.

She caressed his face and said softly, "Stupid bleached vampire. If you go, who's gonna be here for me?"

Spike could feel himself getting weaker, and knew it wouldn't be long.

He reached up and caressed her face softly.

"I really love you, you know."

Buffy placed a hand over his and said,

"I know."

Spike pulled off two of his finger rings.

He placed one in Dawn's hand, pulling her hand to his face and kissing it softly before giving it back to her.

The second one he slid onto Buffy's ring finger on her free hand.

"Love you pet. Guess it's time for the Big Bad to go wreck some havoc in hell. Think of me sometime, huh?"

"Stupid bleach moron…you didn't have to do that…"

"Sure I did. What should I have done, just let your Watcher do it. Couldn't do that…it would have altered both of you. Can't have you 'urt like that? Besides, evil soulless demon here. Kinda enjoyed it."

"Normally I'd call you a pig for that."

"I happen to know you like pigs."

"Says who?"

"Mr. Gordo."

Buffy smiled softly.

"Knew I could get a grin."

"Don't go…."

"I love you pet."

"Don't go…"

"Not my choice…but if I ever get leave from Hell, I'll swing by to haunt you good and proper.

"Promise."

"Promise."

Spike felt his world go dark….

And then he jumped as he heard a thundering noise.

He realized that he was once again in the Summers' basement.

Spike put his head in his hands and cried.

"No, no, no, no, no."

Xander approached him silently.

He watched the bleach vampire rock back and forth in agony and knew without a doubt how broken he was.

He squatted down next to him and said, "Come on Spike, we're burying her today."

If possible, Spike folded more into himself.

"Dawn wants to go, but won't go if you're not there. She said you would protect her. We're all hurting…I don't like you…I'm sure you don't like me…but I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone. Come on…we have to go."

Spike never said a word, but allowed Xander to pull him up to his feet.

Once they made it upstairs, Dawn rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Spike held her tightly and held her as they walked over to Xander's car and got in the back.

They made it to the cemetery and had their simple service and then Giles, Spike and Xander filled in the grave.

They stood there silently, thinking their own thoughts and then one by one headed back to the car.

Spike and Dawn were the last to leave.

"How are we gonna get through this Spike?" Dawn asked softly.

"One day at a time Niblet," Spike replied just as softly, "One day at a time."


End file.
